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Self-control, cultural animals, and Big Gods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2016

Tania Reynolds  and
Roy F. Baumeister
Tania Reynolds
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306. [email protected]@psy.fsu.eduhttp://psy.fsu.edu/faculty/baumeister.dp.html
Roy F. Baumeister
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306. [email protected]@psy.fsu.eduhttp://psy.fsu.edu/faculty/baumeister.dp.html
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Abstract

As Norenzayan et al. cogently argue, religions that proliferated most successfully did so because they facilitated prosociality and cooperation in large-scale, anonymous groups. One important way that religion promotes cooperation may be through improving self-control. In this comment, we cover some potential obstacles to implementing self-control and how religion can overcome them.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 39 , 2016 , e21
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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